Thursday, November 06, 2008

Sukhoi Superjet 100 Fatigue Tests in Siberia

Sukhoi Superjet 100 Transported to SibNIA (the Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute in the City of Novosibirsk) for Fatigue Tests
(NSI News Source Info) NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia - November 6, 2008: Today Sukhoi Superjet 100 # 95006 was transported from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to the Novosibirsk Aviation Production Association. The test plane traveled all the way from KnAAPO (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association) aboard the An-124 Rouslan heavy-lift transport aircraft.

The Superjet 100 or Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) being developed by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company

Soon after, the aircraft was transferred to the Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute located in the city of Novosibirsk for fatigue tests. These tests will confirm the increased operating life of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 airframe amounting to 70,000 flight hours. In the closest time SibNIA will see the aircraft fuselage, wings and tail jointed. Further, the aircraft will be fitted with loading units and measurement sensors. In the course of these tests all primary structural components of the aircraft will be examined and trialed at all flight modes including turbulence. Along with the confirmation of the aircraft safe life declared earlier, test results should also validate the existing program on maintenance checks when operating the aircraft within our customer fleets. Sukhoi Superjet 100 joined hands with SibNIA in 2003. This country’s major research center hosted a series of tests on static strength regarding particular units of the aircraft (these tests were monitored by TsAGI as well) and plane aerodynamics – specifically, to test its aerodynamic behavior at takeoff and landing modes.